weapons info

It is generally believed that first automatic grenade launchers were developed in USA by mid-1960s, following the US involvement in the Vietnam war. These weapons were developed by US Navy and several military contractors to provide troops with close to medium range support and area suppression weapons, effective against enemy infantry and light structures. These weapons were light and compact enough to be installed on riverine crafts, combat helicopters, jeeps, and on light infantry mounts (tripods). What is generally not known is the fact that very similar weapons were developed and tested in USSR prior to WW2, in around 1935-38. There were several designs of such weapons, but most developed of these was the 40,6mm automatic grenade launcher designed by Taubin. This magazine-fed, selective fired weapon was developed as a more versatile alternative to the 50mm mortar; it fired 40,6mm fragmentation grenade (based on standard issue 40,6mm Dyakonov rifle grenade M1930) in either direct and indirect fire modes. However, changes in General Staff of Red Army following Stalin's repressions of 1937-39 resulted in withdrawal of Army support to this project, and Taubin grenade launcher never went past prototype stages. The Taubin itself has been arrested, tried on false accusations, found guilty and later executed.


For several decades the automatic grenade launcher concept in USSR was completely suppressed by light mortar concept, and it was Vietnam war that brought these weapons back to consideration of Soviet army. Soviet Army got its new automatic grenade launchers in about five years later than Americans; while Soviet and Russian 30mm weapons are somewhat less versatile because of narrower selection of available ammunition types, these weapons also significantly lighter than their Western counterparts. During 1980s and 1990s, several other nations began to develop and manufacture their own grenade launchers, chambered either for NATO-standard 40mm High Velocity ammunition of US origin, or for 30mm Soviet ammunition. However, by late 1980s Chinese developed their own grenade ammunition of 35mm caliber, and later produced a lightweight, one man-portable weapon of indigenous design. This launcher, initially known as W87, is very mobile but lacks suppressive firepower because of smaller capacity magazines (maximum magazine capacity 12 or 15 rounds as opposed to 30 to 40 round belt capacity of Soviet and Western weapons).


Current grenade launchers usually provide both direct and indirect fire capabilities with maximum effective range against point targets being about 800 to 1500 meters, and maximum possible range against area targets up to 2200 meters. Typical anti-personnel grenade weights around 250 g (complete round weight usually about 300 g, muzzle velocity about 180 to 240 m/s); such grenade carries about 30 g of high explosive and provides kill zone with radius of up to 5-7 meters (damage zone radius up to 15 meters). Grenade launchers in turn usually represent large belt-fed machine guns with short, stubby barrels with caliber between 30 and 40mm, mounted on tripods or various vehicle mounts. Typical rate of fire for automatic grenade launchers ranges from 100 to 400 rounds per minute. Not surprisingly, such weapons can provide formidable suppressive or target disabling fire against infantry and light vehicles and structures. Other than anti-personnel, fragmentation ammunition, many countries also produce armor piercing ammunition for use against enemy's armored personnel carriers and trucks (typical penetration is about 5 cm / 2 inch of steel armor), dual purpose (fragmentation - AP), short range shrapnel and other types of rounds.
The most recent trend in development of automatic grenade launchers is to provide these weapons with computerized sights, that can measure range to the intended target and provide operator with necessary aiming information, either for direct or indirect fire. Further development is concentrated on air-bursting warheads that can be set up automatically to explode over the heads of enemy personnel ad desired range (also provided automatically from laser range-finder via computer sight). Several countries currently are developing such ammunition and fire control units for 40mm weapons (those include at least Norway, Singapore and USA) and at least one country develops same concept in smaller 25mm caliber (USA).